Christ and the Church Marriage Devotion (Free) – A Book Release and Review

I have been married for over 15 years and a pastor now for over 5 years. In my vocations, as a husband and as a pastor, I have read a lot of books on marriage over the years. I can say without any fear of hyperbole that this new devotion by Pastor Andrew Richard is one of the best ones that I have ever read.

It is described as “a thirty-day devotion concerning the Holy Estate of Marriage, particularly addressing those whom God has placed in it.”

It is unique in that it is a marriage devotion that is thoroughly Lutheran from beginning to end. It is grounded in the clear teaching of Scripture as it applies both Law and Gospel to husbands and wives. This is a good summary of Pastor Richard’s goal and method in preparing this devotion. It is from the end of the introduction:

What follows is devotional in nature: presenting the commands and promises of God, calling to repentance and faith, following the pattern of the Word of God and prayer, and offering practical suggestions according to what the Scriptures say about Christ and the Church in their union. Each day includes a writing on a particular aspect of marriage, a talking point, a prayer, and an activity. This booklet is written for husbands and wives, but could easily be adapted to serve as a resource for premarital instruction.

Dear reader, there is not an original thought in the pages that follow. But on account of that, it is my hope that instead of hearing the voice of one man, limited in experience and confined to the twenty-first century, you will hear the voice of the Church catholic, from all times and places, as she has lived in the reality of marriage with her heavenly Bridegroom; and that hearing her voice praising her Husband, you would recognize the great love with which he has loved you, giving himself up for you that he might sanctify you and present you to himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that you might be holy and without blemish, betrothed to him forever.

This is a devotion that will be of great benefit to all married and engaged couples. Pastors will be able to make use of this in pre-marriage catechesis, with newlyweds, and even with those that have been married for many years.

Even if you just downloaded this devotion and prayed the Biblically rich and thoughtful prayers at the end of each day with your spouse, you and your spouse and your marriage would be better off for it.

Much more could be said about this fantastic resource, but instead, I encourage you to download this, use it, and see for yourselves that what I have said is true.

About Pastor Andrew Packer

Andrew Packer is the pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne with an M.Div. in 2012. He was ordained and installed as the pastor of Our Savior on June 24, 2012. He has been married to Destiny since 2001. God has graciously blessed them with six children so far: Ethan, Abigail, Allison, Olivia, Lucia, and Micah.